The Beginnings of Agriculture
For thousands upon thousands of years, humans survived by hunting game and
gathering edible plants. They lived in bands of 25 to 70 people. The men almost
certainly did the hunting. The women gathered fruits, berries, roots, and grasses.
Then about 10,000 years ago, some of the women may have scattered seeds near a
regular campsite. When they returned the next season, they may have found new
crops growing. This discovery would usher in the Neolithic Revolution, or the
agricultural revolution—the far-reaching changes in human life resulting from the
beginnings of farming. The shift from food-gathering to food-producing culture
represents one of the great breakthroughs in history.
Causes of the Agricultural Revolution Scientists do not know exactly why the
agricultural revolution occurred during this period. Change in climate was probably
a key reason. Rising temperatures worldwide provided longer growing seasons and
drier land for cultivating wild grasses. A rich supply of grain helped support a small
population boom. As populations slowly rose, hunter-gatherers felt pressure to find
new food sources. Farming offered an attractive alternative. Unlike hunting, it provided
a steady source of food.
Early Farming Methods Some groups practiced slash-and-burn farming, in
which they cut trees or grasses and burned them to clear a field. The ashes that
remained fertilized the soil. Farmers planted crops for a year or two, then moved to
another area of land. After several years, trees and grass grew back, and other farmers
repeated the process of slashing and burning.
Domestication of Animals Food gatherers’ understanding of plants probably
spurred the development of farming. Meanwhile, hunters’ expert knowledge of
wild animals likely played a key role in the domestication, or taming, of animals.
They tamed horses, dogs, goats, and pigs. Like farming, domestication of animals
came slowly. Stone Age hunters may have driven herds of animals into rocky
ravines to be slaughtered. It was then a small step to drive herds into human-made
enclosures. From there, farmers could keep the animals as a constant source of
food and gradually tame them. Not only farmers domesticated animals. Pastoral nomads,
or wandering herders, tended sheep, goats, camels, or other animals. These herders moved
their animals to new pastures and watering places.
The changeover from hunting and gathering to farming and herding took place not
once but many times. Neolithic people in many parts of the world independently
developed agriculture, as the map at the right shows. From these early and varied centers
of agriculture, farming then spread to surrounding regions.
Villages Grow and Prosper
Over the centuries, people settled in stable communities that were based on agriculture.
Domesticated animals became more common. The invention of new
tools—hoes, sickles, and plow sticks—made the task of farming easier. As people
gradually developed the technology to control their natural environment, they
reaped larger harvests. Settlements with a plentiful supply of food could support
larger populations.